On a midsummer’s day, a walk around Woodbrooke’s ten acres delights the senses. The thriving gardens, the manicured lawn, the wildlife in and around the pond, and the arboretum all attest to the pride and care given to the grounds. Moreover, the delightful grounds outside reflect the thriving programs inside, and invite the visitor to come in and experience the rest of what Woodbrooke has to offer.

It wasn’t always so. Ten years ago, as the gardens at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre in Birmingham, England went to seed, the building sat in disrepair and staff morale sank lower and lower. Programs that had served audiences well for many years no longer met the needs of busy, late-twentieth-century participants. Buildings which had once seemed adequate no longer satisfied outside groups interested in utilizing them. A commission was appointed to examine Woodbrooke’s viability for the future.

From the moment Jennifer Barraclough felt called to apply for the position of director, she encountered bumps on the road. Her “Who, me?” response to her sense of call from God, followed by acceptance that she might be just the right person for the job, was followed by a sense of shock when she wasn’t chosen for an interview. When one of the two candidates interviewed dropped out and it became clear that the other had excellent academic credentials but none of the necessary practical experience, Jennifer was called back and eventually offered the job, which she accepted with some trepidation.

For her first four years in the job, Jennifer lived with an underlying sense of terror about her inadequacy. Comparing herself to others who had served in leadership at Woodbrooke, she thought she should try to be a brilliant academic and a dedicated social activist as well as an effective administrator. Fortunately, her terror was balanced by another part of her. She reflected:

"But the bit of you that is terrified is being consoled and comforted by the bit of you that knows something else."

The bit of her that knew something else kept going back to her original sense of call to the position, and that kept her going when times got tough. The bit of her that knew something else also kept praying, kept reading inspirational literature, kept turning to the art that nurtured her soul, kept turning to friends and mentors for support and encouragement.

Over time, Jennifer felt that she was sent exactly the people that Woodbrooke needed: a fabulous gardener, an excellent hotel manager, and a first-class chef, among others. Over the course of five or six years, through many ups and downs, the garden was restored to its former splendor, the building was renovated, the food service was upgraded, and the educational program was reconfigured to meet the needs of the future.

Jennifer gradually learned to accept herself for the person she was, understanding that God had called her to the position for her gifts and skills, not expecting her to be someone she wasn’t. Like the flowers in the newly restored garden, Jennifer and the staff complemented one another well when they were planted in the right soil and given the right conditions for their particular needs. Then they could flourish and make their unique contributions to the whole.

Of course, nothing is perfect. And everything always changes. Staff retire, demands for programs change, the economy convulses. Running Woodbrooke will never be easy.

At the same time, with acceptance of herself and her gifts, with reliance on her spiritual practices, and with a strong staff with complementary gifts, Jennifer has turned Woodbrooke around and set it on firm footing for the twenty-first century. Gardens and institutions alike thrive with the appropriate acceptance, care, and nurture.

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Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of "Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations," works with leaders in business, healthcare, churches, government and non-profits to help them develop spiritual leadership. Visit her website at www.ExecutiveSoul.com. © Copyright 2008 by Margaret Benefiel.